Kingston's Hinds throws herself into shot put

KINGSTON — When Valerie Hinds was a fifth-grader, she knew she had to get out of the house and find something fun to do.

Ken McMillan

KINGSTON — When Valerie Hinds was a fifth-grader, she knew she had to get out of the house and find something fun to do.

Following the lead of her older brother, Randy, Hinds gravitated to athletics. She tried basketball but wasn't very good at it. She competed in wrestling for a couple years and even played two years of modified football with the Kingston boys. "They treated me like one of the guys "» I was family,'' said Hinds, who played on the offensive and defensive lines. Knee problems, however, forced her off the gridiron.

The one sport that Hinds stayed with was track and field. She ran a bit while in elementary school and soon enough Hinds discovered her passion in the throwing events.

"Track and field is my life,'' Hinds said. "Track is like "» it's a second home to me. If I am not in track, I don't feel comfortable.''

Chris Whittaker happened to see Hinds playing football and immediately took notice of her speed and strength — though not a track coach at that moment, Whittaker thought Hinds would be an ideal shot putter. Fast forward six months and Whittaker was named the throws coach for Kingston and in walked Hinds to practice. To say the least, he was happy.

"She was always naturally strong and naturally explosive with her movement,'' Whittaker said.

Hinds won the shot put title in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association indoor championships as a freshman, and last week she repeated as a sophomore. She placed fourth in the 2012 outdoor championships.

"It feels good,'' Hinds said of her repeat win. "I feel accomplished. It shows that 10th graders can do as good as the other grades.''

"She's a kid that loves attention,'' Whittaker said, "so to be the number one shot putter in the OCIAAs, that is something she enjoys. Because she is so young, we try to make sure she stays humble. She doesn't think she is unbeatable.''

Winning is not a priority, Hinds says. Her goal is to improve her distances each time out. Hinds' best throw is 38 feet, 4 ¼ inches, performed at the Bishop Loughlin Games last month. She is ranked 10th in the state and second among sophomores.

"It's a decent amount for how old I am,'' said the 15-year-old. "I know I can do better if I really try.''

That's what Whittaker is working on. Hinds has reached those distances from a basic standing position. Whittaker is trying to teach her to use more rotation in the throwing circle to unleash better throws, something Randy does on his attempts. Valerie initially fought him on this, Whittaker said, but she is slowly working the new method into practice more often. At the OCIAA meet, Hinds won with her old approach and then took one throw with the rotation — the shot practically slipped out of her hands and she fell out of the circle. Embarrassing, yes, but a lesson learned.

Hinds continues to make progress because she works hard in the weight room. She has added 30 pounds to her squats in the past five weeks. "All you have to do is push for what you want to do,'' she said. "And don't cheat on your reps because all you are doing is cheating on yourself.''

She said throwing 41 or 42 feet in the shot is not out of the question by the end of spring season. Her ultimate goal is to earn a college scholarship so she can study forensic sciences.

"To me, the possibilities for her are sensational as long as she stays on the right path,'' Whittaker said.

Valerie credits Randy for inspiring her throwing efforts, and she takes a cue from her mother about remaining positive at all times.

"My mom is strong,'' Hinds said. "She always keeps her head up, even when times are down.''